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Joel L. Watts holds a Masters of Arts from United Theological Seminary with a focus in literary and rhetorical criticism of the New Testament. He is currently a Ph.D. student at the University of the Free State, analyzing Paul’s model of atonement in Galatians. He is the author of Mimetic Criticism of the Gospel of Mark: Introduction and Commentary (Wipf and Stock, 2013), a co-editor and contributor to From Fear to Faith: Stories of Hitting Spiritual Walls (Energion, 2013), and Praying in God's Theater, Meditations on the Book of Revelation (Wipf and Stock, 2014).

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23 thoughts on “4 umbrellas, 4 presidents #umbrellagata”

Never mind that Shrub was a draft dodger whose daddy pulled strings to get him into a National Guard unit as American causalities in Vietnam peaked, Obama was the only photographed president under an umbrella to not serve in the military. Of course, Obama would have been just about the right age to be graduating from elementary school when Vietnam era conscription ended.

The Obama under the umbrella flap is reminiscent of the Obama with no hand over his heart photo that was supposedly taken during the playing of the National Anthem on Veteran’s Day. In actuality, the photo in question was made just after Obama took the stage at the Arlington wreath laying ceremony while Hail to the Chief was still being played. Under those circumstances, protocol dictates that the president is to receive the same respect as the flag if the National Anthem was being played.

Two simultaneous events have the right wing’s collective underpants in a twist. One is that a Democrat occupies “their” White House. Even worse is that president happens to be a person of color. It’s also why all the talk over impeachment and well as the sudden concern over the national debut – which was largely caused by the debt and war cycle under Republican presidential administrations that America’s founding fathers so feared.

Meanwhile, locked in a cerebral time warp of their own making, the right wing believes it’s still Morning in America with a reincarnation of Ronnie is just waiting in the wings. In reality, the world has moved on without them. It will take more than a few high class funerals to make the Republican Party viable again. That won’t happen for another 30 or 40 years.

The difference (and resulting outrage) is that Obama is the first president to force a Marine to breach protocol in such a manner – it is clearly stated in the US Marine Corps regulations that marines in full dress are not to hold umbrellas. And there is no exception to the rule, and it has never been broken at the request of the President, on world-wide television. That is the problem.

Spence, you ever been in the Corps or just spout regulations like a parrot. the president is the commander in chief, like it or not. that means he outranks the commandant. there are a lot of things Marines do when on assignments like this that are “not by the book” (the Marine one pilots wear dress uniforms instead of nomex flight suits as required by natops) bet if you would ask the commandant what he thought about it, he would say he adapted and over came. no male Marines are not allowed to carry an umbrella in any uniform, but the oath of enlistment states “i will obey the orders of the president…”

I have been aware of that rule since the early 1960s. Only a a decade earlier, DIs at Parris were permitted to manhandle recruits. That, too, passed.
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Which is more important: Obeying the orders of a superior or being able to salute that superior?
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P.S. The fastest way for a Marine to land in the brig is to disobey a direct order. The commander in chief is about as far up the chain of command as you’re gonna get. Capiche? If you don’t comprehend, read Article II, Section 2, Clause I of The Constitution of the United States. It’s there in plain English.
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P.S.S. If you want to learn from first hand experience, see your local Marine recruiter. He’s always looking for a few good men!

Reminds me of the people accusing Obama of releasing classified info on the bin laden raid. Any person that actually handled classified documents receives training that states, the president has ultimate release authority on any classified documents. Not that I think anything sensitive was released. But the people accusing Obama of something he has the ultimate right to do, shows the accusers are again, idiots who do not even know the rules of the game, or are ignoring the known rules on purpose. They call the president Commander and Chief (of the military), for a reason.

1. I object to being called an idiot for merely citing the rules our military follows. Obviously Obama has final say, and I’m not criticizing the act, it’s merely a fun point to jab at. Since when did liberals lose their sense of humor?

First, idiot , for me, was referring to people accusing Obama of releasing classified info, when he would have the right to release it. Not referring to you. Sorry if I was too strong. Umbrella-gate is not at the level. As Sec of State, and a decorated Vietnam vet, I would think ANY Marine would hold an umbrella for Kerry if asked. Wouldn’t you?

The Obama administration has the right-wingers hopping mad again over a proposed change to Marine covers. Follow the link below for more on this fragging of tradition:
.http://nypost.com/2013/10/23/obama-wants-marines-to-wear-girly-hats/
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The next blowup will be over women serving along side men in combat units. Everywhere this has happened in the West, the arguments have always been the same. Females in Western European military units report a sibling-like relationship with their peers. Platoon leaders say that, whether male or female, subordinates respect good judgment. That must be proven.
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Countries currently permitting women to serve in combat units are Australia, Canada, Denmark, Eritrea, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Israel, Lithuania, Netherlands, New Zealand, North Korea, Norway, Poland, Romania, and Sweden.
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My advice to mouthy male combat virgins opposed to women in combat units is to rush down to a recruiting station, sign up, and prove their superiority. Otherwise, shut up!

The mostly draft-dodging and Yellow Elephant hugging right-wing currently throwing a slobbering hissy fit over the Air [Force] Academy’s making “so help me God” an optional part of its oath. The traditional wording is: “We will not lie, cheat or steal nor tolerate among us anyone who does. Furthermore, I resolve to do my duty and live honorably, so help me God.”

Unless one counts that deadly skirmish, otherwise known as Granada, the United States hasn’t decisively won a military conflict since “In God We Trust” was adopted as the country’s official motto in 1956. Given the history of these little God tags – “Nobiscum deus,” “S’ nami Bog’,” “Gott mit uns,” etc. – they are more lip service than assurance of blessing.
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For what it’s worth, I am old enough to remember when “under God” was not part of the Pledge of Allegiance. (I also have vague memories of giving a Bellamy Salute. [I’m betting you’ll have to look that one up!]) As with the Air Academy motto, I cannot see the added verbosity improves any underlying commitment. Then, opinions vary.

This is a non sequitur as well, but I can’t help but think of various possible tracks in time that we could have taken, but thank God (I’m in trouble now), and Obama, we didn’t. Not too long ago, the right was up in arms, and wanted to bomb, go to war, you name it, in Syria over chemical weapons. Iran was on the crosshairs as well.http://www.cnn.com/2013/10/31/world/meast/syria-chemical-weapons-opcw/index.html?c=world
Funny how a fight over Obama care now seems to be the cause for hate and discontent, instead of Syria and Iran. Even the republicans should thank Obamacare for that.

Decades ago, in the days when military paperwork was hammered out on typewriters, someone took the time to neatly type “Peace in our profession. War is just a hobby.” on half a ream of official Air Force stationery. Despite the biting humor, that decidedly unauthorized alteration of the Strategic Air Command’s motto offers some insight into right-wing thinking in the United States.
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The right-wing’s first objective is to eradicate or otherwise neutralize any remnants of New Deal legislation. Thus, any perceived expansion thereof, such as Obamacare, is intolerable. Second, when social spending is held in check, they indulge in their favorite pastime – hobby wars. As an anonymous senior official in the Bush White House succinctly phrased this philosophy in Days of Fire: Bush and Cheney in the White House, “The only reason we went into Iraq, I tell people now, is we were looking for somebody’s ass to kick. Afghanistan was too easy.”
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The aforementioned ranking of right-wing priorities serves to explain why military intervention in Syria abroad took a backseat to attempts to shutdown portions of the federal government in a failed attempt to defund Obamacare at home. Correspondingly, this clarifies why the national debt only becomes a problem when, as has happened under both Clinton and Obama, a Democrat is occupies the White House. In the right-wing mind, defense debt is different from domestic debt!
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It also helps to understand that the right-wing is dominated by overgrown schoolyard bullies. Not unlike a neighborhood gang of young punks, they frequently use intimidation to get what they want. Thus, they favor the Defense over State in diplomacy. It is likewise why they resort to politics by other means on the domestic front. The latter strategy includes repeated threats of presidential impeachment and government shutdown.
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In the end, the right-wing will attempt to destroy that which they cannot control. Since they can never be appeased, the only way to defeat them is to stand up to them. This works because, despite their bluster, right-wingers are essentially cowards.